Surrender Your Dream to Jesus
By Rick Warren

“I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12b-13 NLT, second edition).

You’ll never achieve your dream until you learn to give it up. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true.

Surrendering your dream to Jesus is always the safest decision you’ll ever make in regards to your dream. God typically takes your dream through six different stages. I’ve seen him do it hundreds of times in my life and thousands of times in the lives of others.

·      Stage 1: God gives you a dream.

·      Stage 2: You decide to go after the dream.

·      Stage 3: Your dream is delayed.

·      Stage 4: Your dream encounters difficulties.

·      Stage 5: Your dream hits a dead end.

·      Stage 6: God delivers your dream.

Throughout each of these stages, you’re working on your dream while God is working on you. More than anything else, God wants you to trust him. The Apostle Paul says it like this: “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12b-13 NLT, second edition).

The Bible says emphatically that you can do anything — along with God’s help. You’ll need much more than positive thinking as you pursue your God-given dreams. You’ll need the power of God.

Many people have read one motivational book after another and still haven’t made progress toward their dreams. That’s because we need the supernatural help of God.

Have you been trying to sail to your dreams on your own power? If so, I guarantee you’re getting nowhere — at least on the dreams that really matter in your life. The wind is dead.

Surrender your dream to God. Let him empower them.

Talk It Over

• Why is it so difficult to consider handing our dreams to Jesus? What do you think we’re afraid of?
• What does it mean to give Jesus our dreams?
• What area of your dream have you not given to Jesus?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit rickwarren.org

The Daniel Plan Book

During an afternoon of baptizing over 800 people, Pastor Rick Warren realized it was time for change. He told his congregation he needed to lose weight and asked if anyone wanted to join him. He thought maybe 200 people would sign up, instead he witnessed a movement unfold as 15,000 people lost over 260,000 pounds in the first year. With assistance from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick and thousands of people began a journey to transform their lives.

The Daniel Plan is an innovative approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle where people get better together by optimizing their health in the key areas of faith, food, fitness, focus and friends.

This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.